There is no easier appetizer than slathering this delicious cheese spread on bread and toasting it in the oven. Oh my – when the cheese gets bubbly and lightly browned, you have yourself a yummy appetizer. These won’t last, as it’s hard to stop eating them!
Many cheese spreads have garlic – and there’s nothing wrong with that. This recipe takes on the flavors of poppy seeds and paprika for a unique taste you will fall in love with.
So what is paprika? It’s dried, ground peppers, basically. Some of the peppers are hot and some are sweet – that’s why paprika can be either (and sometimes are dried over smoldering embers, thus creating a smoky taste). Flavors really range from country to country, as the tree which produces these peppers is grown in South America, Central Europe, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and California. Hungary is a major source, thus why many people think that all paprika is Hungarian. A little known fact is that paprika is high in vitamin C and antioxidants.
If you’re not familiar with paprika for more than a bit of red dusting as a garnish, you may not have purchased it in a long time. If this is the case, the paprika in your cupboard may be old and needs to be replaced. The shelf life of paprika is about one year if it has been stored properly (cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container). Old paprika will not have any flavor.
Cheese Bread Recipe
Ingredients for Cheese Bread:
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- 2 tsp. poppy seeds
- 1 tsp. paprika
- Loaf of French bread
Directions for making Cheese Bread:
Preheat the broiler.
Combine the melted butter, parmesan, poppy seeds, and paprika – stir together and set aside.
Slice the loaf of French bread in ½-inch slices. Spoon the parmesan mixture onto each piece of French bread and spread it to cover the surface. Place the slices of bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheet under the broiler for 3 – 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the tops lightly browned. Serve warm.
(1973 Consumer Power Cookbook)
Other easy appetizers:
Bruschetta recipe – always yummy
Beer bread recipe – simple and absolutely delicious spread with butter or served with spinach or cheese dip
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